Despite the characterization by police that the afternoon
gathering at a Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas that led to Sunday’s bloody shooting incident
was a gathering of criminal biker gangs with violent intent, the meeting
appears to have been a legitimate, organized gathering of motorcycle riders
meeting to discuss political issues.

The group that met was the Texas Confederation of Clubs
and Independents (CoC&I) and a look at that group’s website and history
gives a very different impression of the group’s purpose and goals than what
has been said repeatedly by Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton.

Swanton has been a central media figure, conducting several
press conferences since shootings that left nine dead and dozens injured
happened on Sunday. Swanton’s statements have been echoed by the media,
creating an image of a get together of thugs converging on Twin Peaks in an
event obviously fraught with danger that authorities tried desperately to stop until
they were foiled by the uncooperative restaurant owner.

Five gangs had gathered at the restaurant as part of a
meeting to settle differences over turf and recruitment. Prior meetings had
been held at the restaurant, and managers there had dismissed police concerns
over the gatherings, he said.

“They were not here to drink and eat barbecue,” Swanton
said. “They came here with violence in mind.”

The “gathering of criminal bikers” story was even used to
justify the $1 million bail that the 170 arrested bikers were each handed. From
the same AP report:

McLennan County Justice of the Peace W.H. Peterson set
bond at $1 million for each suspect. He defended the high amount, citing the
violence that quickly unfolded in a shopping market busy with a lunchtime
crowd.

“We have nine people dead, because these people wanted to
come down and what? Drink? Party?” Peterson said. “I thought it was
appropriate.”

Despite those claims by Texas officials of drinking,
partying and violence in mind, the Texas Confederation of Clubs and
Independents website and other information give every impression that the
group’s meeting on that Sunday was legitimate.

This does not mean that groups or individuals who
participated in CoC&I meeting don’t have criminal connections. Some see the
CoC&I as a way for clubs like the Bandidos to gain legitimacy, an
assessment shared by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Gang
Threat Assessment from 2014:

Formed in the 1960s, the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang
(Bandidos OMG) conducts its illegal activities as covertly as possible and
avoids high-profile activities such as drive-by shootings that many street
gangs tend to commit. However, members are not covert about making their presence
known by wearing the gang colors, insignia, and riding in large groups. They
seek to turn public sentiment in their favor by organizing frequent charity
runs. Bandidos are likely to focus on recruiting new members with no criminal
history.

However, it’s not clear that everyone who attended the
CoC&I meeting had criminal connections. As the Gang Threat Assessment
report pointed out, even the Bandidos have recruited members with no criminal
history in an attempt to clean up there reputation. As a comment on the biker site Aging Rebel suggests:

If thirty guys were fighting who were the other 140 that
were arrested? The Christian Ministries, the Veterans Clubs, and everyone
else who attended a COC meeting aimed at keeping bikers safe, biker
legislation, and scheduling biker events? So now your local motorcycle minister
is locked up on a 1 million dollar bond.

A look at the Texas Confederation of Clubs and
Independents website and events calendar does show a group that’s focused
on legislative issues and elections.

That page features a photo of a U.S. Marine standing at
attention with a group of bikers and a photo an eagle over an American flag
with the motto “Don’t tread on me. I refuse to allow my civil servant to run my
life.”

A look at the group’s
events calendar shows that the Twin Peaks meeting was listed on the
Calendar as a “Region 1 Texas COC&I Meeting”; one of a number of meeting
that happen in every part of Texas on a regular basis.

Other events on the Calendar show an actual legislative
purpose. For example, on April 22nd at 7am the Calendar lists a public hearing
on legislation:

The Motorcycle Safety Fund Bill (SB754) will be
brought to the floor for public hearing in the Transportation
Committee.

Paul and Jude will be testifying in support of the bill
and we need as many people as possible to attend the hearing to support our
community spokesmen, Senator Watson and show we are unified in seeing SB754
passed.

Later in April was a two day “Texas COC&I Christian
Unity Event”, described as:

This event is open to everyone. We want to include
Christians from all traditional MC’s and not just the Christian MC’s and MM’s.

You are welcome even if you are not a Christian, but the
event will be Christian by nature.

Looking beyond the group’s website, eyewitness reports are
beginning to paint a very different picture than that the official version from
the Waco police.

Halfway through this WacoTrib.com
story comes an account from someone who was at event that claims the biker’s
political event was interrupted by uninvited bikers from the Cossacks gang.:

Steve Cochran, a national bikers’ rights advocate from
Waco who witnessed the melee, blamed the incident entirely on the Cossacks.
Cochran, who is a founder of the Waco chapter of the Sons of the South, is an
official with the U.S. Defenders Task Force, a legislative group affiliated
with the Texas Confederacy of Clubs and Independents.

He arrived at Twin Peaks on Sunday to set up a sound
system for the COC&I meeting, only to find that the violence already had
started.

Bandidos members were to be part of the meeting, which
was to focus on legislative issues common to all bikers, Cochran said. He said
police gave no indication to him or other COC&I members that their lives
might be in danger.

“These meetings have gone on for 20 years, and we’ve gone
all these years without a single incident until Sunday,” he said.

Other reports say that about 60 Cossacks arrived at the
meeting and a list of those killed indicates that only one of the victims was
from Waco. Tuesday, Breitbart
Texas reported exclusively on indications on social media of
aggressive moves by the Cossacks, including “transfers” of bikers into Texas.

The emerging picture of what really happened on Sunday in
Waco raises some doubts about the initial police explanation of the incident as
well as their suggested remedy. For example, Waco spokesman Swanton has
repeated blamed the restaurant for not refusing to host the event.

However, the very political nature of the Texas
Confederation of Clubs and Independents and its website raise troubling
First Amendment questions about the police trying to pressure a business to
shut down a lawful political meeting that had never led to problems previously,
regardless of the people at that meeting.

Texas Law Enforcement has had a difficult job dealing with
biker gangs. One frustration is that some groups like the Bandidos combine
legitimate elements (with charity rides) with criminal (like meth dealing.)

Note: Timothy McVeigh
said the Waco siege inspired his Oklahoma City bombing, and was the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing bomber.

Reginald J. Brown
was a special counsel to victims for the 1995
Oklahoma City bombing, and is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

Cameron F. Kerry
was an associate at Wilmer Cutler
Pickering Hale and Dorr, is the U.S. Department of State secretary John F. Kerry’s brother, and a fellow
at the Brookings Institution (think
tank).

Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think
tank), the Natural Resources Defense
Council, the Common Cause, and the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros
was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Debo P. Adegbile
is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr, and was opposed nomination as assistant attorney general by
the Fraternal Order of Police.

Kenneth
Canterbury is the president of the Fraternal
Order of Police, and a member of the Homeland
Security Advisory Council.

John
Magaw is a member of the Homeland
Security Advisory Council, and was the under for the secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Clark Kent Ervin
was a member of the Homeland Security
Advisory Council, the deputy attorney general for the Texas state government, and is an analyst for CNN.

David
L. Grange is a military analyst for CNN,
and a director at the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial.

Maya
Lin is the designer for the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial, and an honorary trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

J.
Robert Kerrey was a trustee at the Natural
Resources Defense Council, a board of adviser’s member for VoteVets, and a commissioner for the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
Upon the United States.

Bill
Belding is a board of adviser’s member for VoteVets, the president for the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, and was the chief of staff
for the Common Cause.

Jamie S. Gorelick
was a commissioner for the National
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think
tank), and is a partner at Wilmer
Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

Reginald J. Brown
is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr, and was a special counsel to victims for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Timothy McVeigh
was the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing
bomber, and said the Waco siege
inspired his Oklahoma City bombing.

Ted
Turner is a co-chairman for the Nuclear
Threat Initiative (think tank), and the founder of CNN.

Jessica Tuchman Mathews is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank),
was the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think
tank), a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think
tank), an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank),
and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Ed Griffin’s interview with
Norman Dodd in 1982

(The investigation into the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace uncovered the plans for population
control by involving the United
States in war)

Lee
H. Hamilton is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think
tank), an advisory board member for the Annenberg-Dreier Commission at Sunnylands, a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, and
was the vice chair for the National
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.

Eli
Broad is an advisory board member for the Annenberg-Dreier Commission at Sunnylands, and an advisory board
member for Everytown for Gun Safety.

Martin
O'Malley was a member of the Homeland
Security Advisory Council, the Baltimore
(MD) mayor, and is the Maryland
state government governor.

William J. Bratton
is a member of the Homeland Security Advisory
Council, the commissioner for the New
York City Police Department, was the police commissioner for Boston (MA), a superintendent for the Boston Metropolitan Police, and the chief
for the Los Angeles (CA) Police
Department.

Elliott B. Broidy
was a member of the Homeland Security
Advisory Council, and a commissioner for the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension System.

Frances
Fragos Townsend was a member of the Homeland
Security Advisory Council, a counsel to the attorney general, assistant
U.S. attorney for the Southern District for the U.S. Department of Justice, and is a commentator for CNN.

Clark Kent Ervinis an analyst for CNN, was a member of the Homeland
Security Advisory Council, and the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Kenneth
Canterbury is a member of the Homeland
Security Advisory Council, and the president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Debo P. Adegbile
was opposed nomination as assistant attorney general by the Fraternal Order of Police, and is a
partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale
and Dorr.

Reginald J. Brown
is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr, and was a special counsel to victims for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Timothy McVeigh
was the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing
bomber, and said the Waco siege
inspired his Oklahoma City bombing.

Jamie S. Gorelick
is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr, was a trustee at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and a commissioner for the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
Upon the United States.

Michael R.
Bloomberg was the chairman for the National
September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center, and is the
founder of Everytown for Gun Safety.

Eli
Broad is an advisory board member for Everytown
for Gun Safety, and an advisory board member for the Annenberg-Dreier Commission at Sunnylands.

Lee
H. Hamilton is an advisory board member for the Annenberg-Dreier Commission at Sunnylands, an honorary trustee at
the Brookings Institution (think tank), a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, and
was the vice chair for the National
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.

Judith
Rodin was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank),
is a director at the National September
11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center, and the president of
the Rockefeller Foundation.

Clark Kent Ervin
was a member of the Homeland Security
Advisory Council, the deputy attorney general for the Texas state government, and is an analyst for CNN.

Ted
Turner is the founder of CNN,
and a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat
Initiative (think tank).

Margaret A.
Hamburg is the VP for the Nuclear
Threat Initiative (think tank), the commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
and was a trustee at the Rockefeller
Foundation.

Rockefeller
Foundation was a funder for the Nuclear
Threat Initiative (think tank), the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and the Brookings
Institution (think tank).

Jessica Tuchman Mathews is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank),
was a trustee at the Rockefeller
Foundation, the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace (think tank), a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg
(think tank), an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank),
and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Ed Griffin’s interview with
Norman Dodd in 1982

(The investigation into the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace uncovered the plans for population
control by involving the United
States in war)

Donald
Kennedywas a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and a commissioner
for the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).

Mark B.
McClellan was a commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and a senior fellow at the
Brookings Institution (think tank).

Lee H. Hamilton is
an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), an advisory
board member for the Annenberg-Dreier
Commission at Sunnylands, a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, was the vice chair for the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
Upon the United States, and a co-chair for the Iraq Study Group.

William J. Bratton
is a member of the Homeland Security Advisory
Council, the commissioner for the New
York City Police Department, was the police commissioner for Boston (MA), a superintendent for the Boston Metropolitan Police, and the chief
for the Los Angeles (CA) Police
Department.

Elliott B. Broidy
was a member of the Homeland Security
Advisory Council, and a commissioner for the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension System.

Kenneth
Canterbury is a member of the Homeland
Security Advisory Council, and the president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Debo P. Adegbile
was opposed nomination as assistant attorney general by the Fraternal Order of Police, and is a
partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale
and Dorr.

Reginald J. Brown
is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr, and was a special counsel to victims for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Timothy McVeigh
was the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing
bomber, and said the Waco siege
inspired his Oklahoma City bombing.

Jamie S. Gorelick
is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr, was a trustee at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and a commissioner for the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
Upon the United States.

No comments:

Sam on Bob Harden Show

Who Is Aristotle the Hun

"Aristotle the Hun" was the name given to me more than 30 years ago when a friend noticed that in spite of my intellect I was still an Iowa farm boy.

Rev. Sam Sewell, is Director of Best Self USA, a Pastoral Psychotherapist, serves on the faculty of Naples Community Hospital as an instructor for Clinical Pastoral Education, President of the Theological Center in Naples, a member of Mensa where he serves as Gifted Youth Coordinator, a U.S. Navy Veteran, and a Member of the Association For Intelligence Officers. He is a frequent commentator on mental health and religious issues.His award winning research on family issues is published in several languages. Member of Sigma Delta Chi Honor Society

Videos - One of Five

Quotation Gallery

"Though defensive violence will always be 'a sad necessity' in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men."- St. Augustine

"A new idea is first condemned as ridiculous, and then dismissed as trivial, until finally it becomes what everybody knows." -

William James

"This is the real task before us: to reassert our commitment as a nation to a law higher than our own, to renew our spiritual strength. Only by building a wall of such spiritual resolve can we, as a free people, hope to protect our own heritage and make it someday the birthright of all men." --Ronald Reagan

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government."-- Edward Abbey

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. A man who has nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety is a miserable creature who has no chance at being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."John Stuart Mill

"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." ~~~George Washington

"I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University." William F. Buckley, Jr.

"Conservatives are enemies of the government. Liberals are enemies of the nation because they are not enemies of the government."Aristotle the Hun

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"Albert Einstein

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain." ANON

"That government is best which governs least."Thomas Paine

“A nation that substitutes emotion and empathy for rational thought will eventually digress into the Dark Ages,”Congressman Steve King (R-IA),

INTEGRITY: The highest courage is to dare to be ourself in the face of adversity. Choosing ethics over convenience and truth over popularity means there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.

The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

They may be more likely to go to Heaven for good intentions yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.~ C. S. Lewis

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." ANON

Guide for newbies!

This blog was started to give people a source of information they can trust. I almost never make the mistake of including scams, false rumors, or poorly researched items. I encourage readers to alert me if they spot an anomaly. It will be quickly corrected.

The search function is in the upper left hand corner. Readers are invited to cut and paste from this blog to your own emails. Each subject title has an embedded link so cut and paste the title and the first few lines. That will direct a person back to this blog.

Below the usual ad and personal profile you will find links to topics located on the right hand side of the page. You may find it easier to select topics of interest to you rather than scrolling all topics as they occur chronologically. (Gee, that's a six syllable word!)

The government is conspiring against the citizens. The citizens have pitchforks, torches, tea bags, tea parties, Grand Juries and the Constitution. The government doesn't stand a chance!

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The famous Chapter 16 from "I Fired My Doctors" thathas become a "best seller" as a separate publication.

"The stress management chapter alone is worth the price of the book.”
Selwyn Mills, PhD